CLAPTON & BEYOND

Having worked solely on a computer for the last 25 years, I found it nerve-racking and yet exhilarating picking up a pencil to start drawing again after so long. I quickly found my passion for sketching daily with an ink pen without sketching first, which meant I had to concentrate my thoughts on how I wanted the composition to be, then commit to the line as there’s no editing or erasing possible with ink.

These works include my pen and ink sketches of the local area, alongside pieces in other mediums, with some reworked and edited into colour. It was interesting to note how they created a new dynamic all of their own, and where both exist, the sketches are shown followed by their colour reworkings.

Markhouse Cafe on the River Lea

A great cafe in the grounds of the old Markhouse Pumping station Museum.
Inkpen on paper 18cm x 20cm

The Markhouse Cafe

The original is much enhanced by a splash of colour.
Pen and Ink 16cm x 18cm

Zone 2 cattle Lea River London

Amazing to see the saddleback cattle in London’s Zone 2 against a backdrop of urban housing.
Pen and Ink on paper 16cm x 18cm

Zone 2 cattle

Cattle in glorious technicolour. Adding colour enabled me to pick out the thistle heads in the grasses.
Pen and Ink 16cm x 18cm

Riverside cafe by the River Lea

A popular spot for walkers, rowers training on the water or people just having a coffee.
Inkpen on paper 18cm x 20cm

Riverside cafe bridge

I added the dog to cover an earlier sin of getting the cafe name wrong on the drawing.

Casimir Rd

Typical Edwardian terraced street but over looking the Park.
Pen and Ink on paper 16cm x 18cm finished in Procreate.

Casimir Rd

The toddlers from the local nursery were being pulled along in the little trucks.

Casimir in colour

Adding the washes of colour helped to pick out the detail lost in the original. It breathes into life…
Pen and Ink 16cm x 18cm

The Anchor and Hope Pub River Lea

A popular pub on the River. More than a half a pint of the local ESB will have you legless.
Inkpen on paper 18cm x 20cm

Anchor and Hope Pub in colour

Adding the colour to the original adds another dimension and lifts it off the page.

Riverside Cafe

A popular spot for coffee and gazing at the activities on and off the water.
Inkpen on paper 18cm x 20cm

Riverside Cafe and people

I populated the original ink drawing with people as it felt a bit sad and lonely with no one there. The dog is becoming a bit of a theme.

Railway bridge on Lea

This was finished in the studio as wanted to add more tones.
There are further iterations in colour.
Pen and Ink on paper 16cm x 18cm

Railway bridge in colour

The powerful saturated colours of the inks were a challenge to control and tame. I added another dog for good luck.
Pen and Ink 16cm x 18cm

Springfield Park

A beautiful park of specimen trees created in 1905 from the grounds of 3 houses. A duck pond, a Bowling Green, a bandstand, a Community Centre and a great cafe. What more could you want?
Inkpen on paper 18cm x 20cm

Springfield Park

At the Duck Pond. Bowling green beyond.

Winsor

Our grumpy cat.
Procreate on Ipad.

Riverside cafe

The owner is always busy serving, always smiling whilst cyclists whizz by.

Riverside Antonia

Riverside cafe

Springfield Raven

Footbridge over the River Lea

Cafe folk hugging the Shade of tree

Princess Of Wales

Lea Life + River

Crooked Billet

Clapton Hart

Engine Room Coppermill Reservoir

Rowers on the River Lea

The Coach was training from the waterside whilst two men were performing their customary ritual Tashlikh.
Inkpen on paper 18cm x 20cm

Swimmers at The West Reservoir

In lockdown the changing rooms were closed so everyone had to change on the decking.
Inkpen on paper 18cm x 20cm

River Lea

More and more people are priced out of housing in London and have taken to living on boats. Fascinating to see the proliferation along the banks of the River Lea.
inkpen on paper 18cm x 20cm

River Lea rowers

I like the juxtaposition of the urban environment next to the Nature of the Marshes.
Inkpen on paper 18cm x 20cm

Springfield Cafe

At the top of the park. Another great venue.